Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-11

that woman sacrifices any part OF her
DIGNITY. Strangers como to my door
and ask, Don't your wives fight ? and
! answer them. Yes, sometimes don't
youf Then they say, We do not see
how you can be satisfied to
SHARE A HUSBANDS LOVE
with another woman or with four OF
five other women tell them that
We DO no such thing. you do not
know what love is, 1 say to them.
When my husband took me for wife
be promised and bound himself by the
Lol!,st VOWS known to man or woman
10 love. honor, and cherish me, not for
time as you folks do, but for all eterni-
". Now, either he loves me or he
does not love me. Love is not thing
that can be divided and dUied around.
am suIc, though, ] say to them,
that my husband loves me, and am
sure also that his love for me does not
prevent him from loving other women
with whom he has made solemn cove
narts.' Non-MormOn women cannot
understand this, but We understand it
because We have the testimony of the
gospel that this is the only truo aud
pure and holy way 10 live"
"But you want to know how We
live, the lady continued. Just now
We have 10 husband. The law will not
permit our husbands to speak to or
visit us, let alone live with us. We
are trying to keep them out Of prison.
The conditions have been changed in
this Territory in the past few years,
since the kdmunds-Tucker act went
into effect. Indeed, the conditions
have been constantly changing since
we came into this valley. The first
Corners had nothing but their hands
and hearts and hope in God. IL they
possessed several wives, the chances
are each wife slept IN 4 covered
wagon, from which tie wheels had
been removed. ] have in mind family
Of FIVE wives and twenty children that
did this. Supplies were scarce, and tho
hour, etc., were weighed TO each one
livery day. The allowance was proba-
bly, two and a half pounds Of flour to
each person. Later a house was built
with a room for each wife, and kitchen
and dining-room besides. Later still,
as the husband acquired means, sepa-
rate buildings were provided for his
wives. How did he divide up his time
among his wives l don't know. !
cannot speak for anybody's husband
but my own. He had six wives. Now
be has five, one having died. Three
of his wives lived in what We called
the big house two lived in a
house in the Tenth ward, and another
lived III a cottage OF her own in
another part of the town. That is
the manner in which we wives were
divided up. Our husband generally did
as he pleased. He had his own room
in the big house, and often shut him
self in there alone. He visited his
wives as he took the notion. Did
he neglect any of us? We didn't
allow ourselves 10 be neglected no
wife does. 1t is the same in polygAmy
as in monogamy. Let husband ne
glect wife and she generally succeeds
in making her condition known to the
neighborhood. Some men live with
one wife a week, and then with another
the next week, or there may be some
other arrangement or understanding
among them. Generally a Mormon
husband when
he TAKES a NEW WIFE
calls his wives around him, and they
talk the subject over and come to some
agreement with regard to the disposi-
ton of his timea and attentions. Should
any dispute arise that cannot be other
wise adjusted another family council IS
called, and there a settlement is efiecl-
ed. The wives who live together IN
the same house have supervision OF the
work in turner they divide the work,
perhaps, one looking after the washing
and ironing, another supervising the
cooking, and a third, the general
Homework. If there be a very old wife,
out of respect for her years the
younger wives may let her run
the establishment. In the olden
days We did our own work and each
took turns in the. different depart,
ments then We spun and wove anu
dyed cur own garments; but now we
have servants, and the work required
Tor rs is merely that of management
The wives living in the same houses
soon grow TO love each other like sis-
tefs, and when they come 10 part, as
many of them have been obliged to do
since the Eannnnds- Thicker Law has